PM Youth Chromebook Scheme 2026 Eligibility Criteria & Registration: Who Can Apply — Complete Guide

The PM Youth Chromebook Scheme 2026 will distribute 500,000 free Chromebooks to students of government schools across Pakistan, and the first question every student asks is a simple one: am I eligible? The scheme was launched on 23 October 2026 at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and it is run by the Inter Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC) under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. This guide explains the eligibility criteria in plain words, so that you can check your own status before you start your registration.

Eligibility is not decided by a single rule. It depends on your class, your school type, your marks and your region, and all four conditions must be met together. Registration is free, and only one application is allowed per student, so it is worth checking each condition carefully rather than applying first and discovering a problem later.

The Four Basic Conditions

Think of eligibility as four gates, and you must pass all four. First, your class must be covered in your region. Second, your school must be a government or public school. Third, your SSC-I marks must be at least 50 percent. Fourth, you must apply only once, with your own verified record. If any one of these conditions fails, the application does not qualify, even if the other three are met.

• Correct class for your province or region.
• Government or public school only.
• Minimum 50 percent marks in SSC-I.
• One free application per student.

It is equally important to know who is excluded, so that no one wastes time on an application that cannot succeed. You cannot apply if you study in a private school. You cannot apply if your SSC-I marks are below 50 percent. You cannot apply if your class is not covered in your region, for example a Grade 10 student in Punjab. You also cannot apply more than once, since only one application per student is allowed. None of these exclusions can be fixed by paying someone or by using another person’s record, and anyone who offers to do so is not genuine.

• Private school students are not covered.
• Below 50 percent marks does not qualify.
• Grade 10 in the four provinces is not covered.
• More than one application per student is not allowed.

Class Rules by Province and Region

The class rule is the condition students most often misunderstand, because it differs by region. In the four provinces — Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan — the scheme covers students of Grade 9 only. In Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, it covers students of Grade 9 and Grade 10. A Grade 10 student in Punjab is therefore not covered, while a Grade 10 student in Islamabad is covered. Check the rule for your own region, not for another student’s region.

School Type: Government and Public Only

The scheme is designed for students of government and public schools. Students of private schools are not covered, however strong their results may be. If you are unsure whether your school counts as government or public, ask your school administration before you apply, because this condition cannot be adjusted after submission. The rule exists because the programme targets students who study in the public system, and it is applied strictly.

The 50 Percent Marks Rule

Every applicant must have at least 50 percent marks in the SSC-I result. This is a firm minimum, not a guideline. A student with 49 percent does not qualify, even if every other condition is met. Your marks are verified by IBCC against your board record, so the percentage you enter must match your official mark sheet exactly. If you are unsure about your percentage, calculate it from your mark sheet before you apply, and do not guess.

• Minimum marks: 50 percent in SSC-I.
• Marks are verified by IBCC from your board record.
• The percentage must match your official mark sheet.
• Below 50 percent, the application does not qualify.

Seminary Students and Special Cases

Seminary students are included in the scheme, which many students do not realise. Out of every five devices, four go to school students and one goes to a seminary student. Scrutiny of seminary students is carried out through the Director General of Religious Education, so seminary applicants should make sure their record is properly registered with their institution before applying. Apart from this arrangement, the same class, marks and application rules apply. A seminary student who meets the marks condition and whose record is properly registered stands on the same footing as any other applicant, and the one-in-five share is a fixed part of the scheme’s design, not an afterthought.

One timing case also deserves attention. Registration in Sindh opens after all Sindh boards announce their 2026 9th-grade results. A Sindh student whose record is not showing yet is usually waiting for a board result announcement, not facing a technical fault, and should wait for that announcement.

How Registration Works for Eligible Students

If you meet all four conditions, registration follows a short, clear path. Keep your documents ready first: your photograph, your SSC-I mark sheet, your attested B-Form or CNIC, and your guardian’s attested CNIC, each file 300 KB or smaller. Then visit the official portal, select your board, and find your record using your CNIC or B-Form, your roll or registration number in digits only without dashes, and your date of birth. Check your details carefully, upload your documents, review the complete entry, and then submit. After submission you cannot change your entry, so review before you submit, and save your reference number and download your slip. The review step is the most important minute of the whole process: a single wrong digit in the roll number or a mismatched date of birth can delay or derail an otherwise valid application, while a careful review catches those errors when they are still fixable. For the full step-by-step process, read our PM Youth Chromebook Scheme apply guide.

Conclusion

The eligibility rules are clear: the right class for your region, a government or public school, at least 50 percent marks in SSC-I, and one free application per student. If you meet all four conditions, you can register on the official portal at pmychromebooks.ibcc.edu.pk. Check your class, your school type and your marks before you apply, and keep your reference slip safe after submission.

FAQs

Am I eligible with 49 percent marks?

No. The minimum is 50 percent marks in SSC-I. Students below 50 percent do not qualify.

Can private school students apply?

No. The scheme covers government and public school students only.

Are Grade 10 students in Punjab eligible?

No. In the four provinces the scheme covers Grade 9 only. Grade 10 is covered only in Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Are seminary students eligible?

Yes. One out of every five devices goes to seminary students, with scrutiny through the Director General of Religious Education.